Moncayo
2,314 m
Spain
Also known as San MiguelAlso known as
San Miguel
- Elevation
- 2,314 m
- Prominence
- 1,297 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Sep–Oct
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The standard ascent from the Aragonese side: from the Haya Seca car park (about 1,570 m) past the sanctuary, up the waymarked AG-1 through pine forest and above the glacial cirque of San Miguel to the summit ridge at the Collado de las Piedras, then over Cerro San Juan to the summit (2,314 m). About 750 m of ascent and 2–2½ hours up.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 4.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +765 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,314 m
- Time Up
- 3h 11m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 12m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Tarazona drive via Agramonte (Moncayo Natural Park interpretation centre) up the road towards the Santuario de la Virgen del Moncayo; it becomes a track and ends for cars at the Haya Seca car park (about 1,570 m), 800 m short of the sanctuary. Walk the track to the sanctuary (about 1,620 m), where trail AG-1 starts. AG-1 zig-zags up through the pine forest and after about half an hour reaches the edge of the Circo de San Miguel (about 1,830 m), the largest of the mountain's three glacial cirques. It then climbs the broad shoulder between the San Miguel and San Gaudioso cirques, including a steep stretch known as La Escupidera, to the main ridge at the Collado de las Piedras (about 2,260 m), marked by a large built cairn. Turn south-west on the wide path over Cerro San Juan (2,282 m), descend slightly to a col (about 2,256 m) and climb to the summit of Moncayo, also called San Miguel, with its geodetic pillar and stone windbreaks. Allow 2–2½ hours from Haya Seca. Descend the same way, taking care to find the cairn at the Collado de las Piedras in fog, as the broad ridge is featureless. An optional extension follows the ridge south-east over the Alto del Corralejo (Morca) to Lobera (2,226 m). In winter the route becomes a serious ascent: La Escupidera and the slopes above the San Gaudioso cirque are often icy, fatal falls have occurred, and the steep floor of the San Miguel cirque is avalanche-prone with cornices at its top.
Start
Parking Haya Seca1,566 m
- Buses run from Zaragoza to Tarazona; there is no public transport to Agramonte or the sanctuary, so a car or taxi is needed for the last 20 km.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parking Haya Seca → Moncayo | 4.8 | 765 | 21 | 3h 11m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Parking Haya Seca1,566 m
- Waypoint: Santuario de la Virgen del Moncayo1,612 m
Sanctuary with a hostel (albergue); start of trail AG-1
- Shoulder: Cerro San Juan2,279 m
- Summit: Moncayo2,314 m
Key Passages
- La Escupidera (steep, icy in winter)
- Collado de las Piedras cairn
- Broad summit ridge over Cerro San Juan
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest summit of the Iberian System (2,314 m), a broad, isolated mountain rising 2,000 m above the Ebro valley on the border of Aragón and Castilla y León. A short, waymarked summer hike from the sanctuary on its northern side, it becomes a serious winter climb when wind and ice take hold.
Moncayo stands alone at the north-eastern end of the Iberian System, between Tarazona in Aragón and Ágreda in Soria. Because it rises so far above the surrounding plains it is visible from the western Pyrenees and much of the Ebro valley, and it catches Atlantic cloud and snow. Its northern side holds three glacial cirques (San Miguel, San Gaudioso and Morca) above layered forest of oak, beech, pine and birch; the southern, Soria side falls more steeply and is little visited.
The summit, also called San Miguel, is the high point of both Zaragoza and Soria provinces and carries a first-order geodetic pillar. The massif has several other tops above 2,000 m, including Cerro San Juan (2,282 m), Morca and Lobera (2,226 m). Most ascents start near the Santuario de la Virgen del Moncayo inside the Aragonese Moncayo Natural Park, where a waymarked trail reaches the summit in 2–2½ hours.
In summer it is a straightforward walk with a windy, often cloud-capped summit ridge. In winter it is notorious for accidents: strong winds polish the steep slopes to ice, fog makes the broad ridge disorienting, and the cirques collect avalanche-prone snow and cornices.
Climbing Notes
In summer and autumn the ascent from the Haya Seca car park is a half-day hike for anyone with reasonable fitness (about 750 m of ascent); carry a windproof layer and navigation aids, as fog on the ridge is the main risk. Look for the large cairn at the Collado de las Piedras on the way up so you can find it again on the descent.
From roughly November to April the mountain is a winter mountaineering objective. Every member of the party needs crampons and an ice axe and the skill to use them; a helmet is advisable. Follow the summer line AG-1 rather than the avalanche-prone floor of the San Miguel cirque, and take particular care on the steep, icy Escupidera and above the San Gaudioso cirque. Snow often closes the track to the sanctuary, adding about 400 m of ascent from Agramonte or the Fuente de los Frailes. Check the AEMET mountain forecast and turn back early if the wind rises or cloud comes down.
History
The Roman poet Martial, born at nearby Bilbilis, wrote of the 'snow-whitened' Mons Caius in the 1st century, the origin of the name. Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer stayed at the Monastery of Veruela at its foot in 1863 and drew on the mountain in his writing, and Antonio Machado placed it in his Soria poems. Part of the northern slope was declared a Natural Site of National Interest in 1927 and the Dehesa del Moncayo Natural Park in 1978, today Moncayo Natural Park, covering 11,144 hectares.
Season
Best Sep–Oct- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Best (best window)
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter ascent with crampons and ice axe; often icy, strong winds; track to the sanctuary may be closed
- Feb
- Winter conditions; avalanche risk in the cirques
- Mar
- Snow and ice; changeable weather
- Apr
- Spring snow on the upper slopes
- May
- Snow patches possible early in the month
- Jun
- Good walking conditions
- Jul
- Hot at the start; thunderstorms possible; busy car parks at weekends
- Aug
- As July
- Sep
- Often clear and settled
- Oct
- Autumn colours in the beech woods; busy weekends
- Nov
- First snow and ice
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Moncayo Natural Park (Decreto 177/2014): park only in signposted car parks
- Camping of any kind and lighting fires are prohibited in the natural park
- Stay on marked paths; access to some forest tracks is regulated by signs
- The park director can regulate or close the main access roads for safety or conservation reasons; closures are signposted at the main entrances
- In snow the track from Agramonte to the sanctuary is often impassable
- Getting There
Tarazona (Aragón), about 25 km by road; Ágreda on the Soria side
Zaragoza (ZAZ), about 1½ hours by road
- By car from Tarazona via Agramonte (park interpretation centre) and the Fuente de los Frailes to the Haya Seca car park; the last section is unpaved
- Buses run from Zaragoza to Tarazona; no public transport beyond
Hazards
- Weather
- Avalanche
- Cornices
- Exposure